Swami's Green Room Concept

Swami's celebrates a lifestyle lived in nature, therefore a respect for the environment is central to who we are.

For us creating a conscious and sustainable company is the only way forward. We look at the cultural and social impact we can make, working with craftsmen in Europe and supporting small initiatives in developing countries. This is an evolving process and we are constantly researching new and innovative methods to produce eco-friendly, non-generic products. We strive to keep our footprint light and harmonious with nature.

To demonstrate our determination we have developed a symbolic language to pinpoint how our products pay service to these principles - they form Swami's Green Room Concept.

peace silk

organic cotton

re-claimed fabrics

green electricity

vegetable tanning

promotion of artisans & crafts

recycled plastics

no GM

green factory

made in UK

AZO free dyes

bio degradable foam

anti-river pollution

minimized delivery distances

recycled packaging

reduced carbon footprint

water based inks

eco delivery

animal welfare

no child labor

sustainable timber

shipped goods

recycled leather

community based initiatives

We currently use around half a dozen of these various sustainable aspects in our productions. You can find these listed below together with some explanatory text which will help you get a better idea of the processes involved.

Also know as Ahimsa, meaning "nonviolence," is a part of Buddhist philosophy or in the context of silk-fiber production, the ethical treatment of mulberry-eating silkworms. In lieu of boiling the silk cocoon to prematurely release strands of filament-like fiber, Ahimsa silk is extracted only after a metamorphosing worm has emerged from its cocoon, allowing it to complete an entire life cycle unharmed. The texture is luxurious, airy, and soft to the touch with a quality only inherent in a meticulous production process carried out by people with the knowledge of how to produce silk on nature's own terms.

Vegetable tanned leathers

The art of tanning using tannins from the plant kingdom is thousands of years old, we see this as favorable alternative to modern synthetic chrome based dyes that cause environmental pollution and skin allergies. Using dyes from replenishable natural sources on our leathers and textiles helps to create a beautiful surface quality that breathes significantly better than chrome tans and develops a lustrous patina over time.

Promotion of artisans and crafts

Products that have been hand made using artisan skills such as embroidery and weaving techniques, which preserve ancestral traditions. This is a way of encouraging quality and “slow fashion” over mass-production.

Water based Inks

The inks we use to screen print with do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals such as CFC's and HCFC's, lead or any volatile solvents, in fact they don't contain any toxic chemicals at all. They are the most environmentally friendly inks available today, Oeko-Tex Class 100 certified 100% solvent free. Made using the purest pigments they print with unsurpassed color opacity with an incredibly soft handle.

Made in the UK

We make a conscious choice to support garment manufacture within the United Kingdom helping to preserving a way of life of small independent traders and manufacturers. Keeping transport miles down, we try and source as many services and products as possible within the UK, or as close to home as is practical and possible.

AZO free dyes

A number of the chemicals used in conventional dyeing can be highly toxic added to which if the untreated waste is not manage properly chemicals can filter into the local water system causing unknown damage to the environment. That's why we work with an Oeko-Tex certified dye house that only uses AZO free dyes, coupled with a state of the art effluent program that recycles and cleans the waste water to the highest degree insuring that no chemicals impact on the environment.

Biofoam

The idea of a sustainable surfboard is in development and we have introduced an eco option into our board range which uses Biofoam. Made from 50% plant-based soy and no toxic materials, Biofoam is as lightweight and as strong as any foam blank on the market. Production results in 36% less global warming emissions compared to standard polyurethane boards. When coupled with a bio-resin and hemp cloth this makes for the greenest of surfboards.

Sustainable timber sourcing

Our chairs are made from FSC-certified eucalyptus wood. So you can have the confidence that you are not contributing to the destruction of the world's forests. FSC is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world's forests.